Main Reasons for Quitting Salsa Dance

Looking at the development of the modern Salsa since its increased popularity which started around 1995, one would think that the international Salsa Dance community would be much larger than it is today. One of the main reasons for this 'irregularity' is that many Salseros and Salseras quit Salsa Dancing all together in spite of it being so addictive. In this article, I will explore some of the main reasons for people deciding to quit Salsa indefinitely.

The Salsa scene not meeting prior Expectations

Many Salseros and Salseras take Salsa Dance classes after they have encountered - and fell in love with - Latin culture and music. This love can be a result of a vacation trip to Latin American countries, falling in love with Latin foreigners, seeing Salsa dancers enjoying themselves on the dance floor, or by getting obsessed with Salsa music. After a while, many budding Salsa dancers discover that modern Salsa Dancing is not what they thought it to be. Many of these Latin lovers who started taking Salsa classes because of the social components and the stereotyping of Latin culture soon discover that the modern Salsa Dance world is very competitive, and find the personal relationships to be very superficial or shallow.

Finding a Soul Mate

Other Salsa dancers perceive Salsa classes and parties as venues to meet potential soul mates. This is more the case in smaller towns than in the larger cities. A large number of the“big city” Salseros and Salseras are more than content with having casual encounters with the other sex. This behavior is not generally accepted in small towns having a close community. It also happens that Salsa dancers encounter a soul mate who does not dance Salsa, or does not like it. Many of these “Salsa Quitters” will stop simply because they found what they were searching for in the first place. Having children is also a reason for leaving the Salsa scene all together.

This is a clip of the opposite situation: a Wedding Dance on Salsa music.

Frustration

Some Salsa dancers cannot cope with the fact that they seem unable to reach the Salsa Dance level they desire. Others have problems keeping up with the fast pace in which Salsa is evolving. “Salsa Wallflowers” - women who are not asked for a dance, or men who are constantly refused by women -  will also quit Salsa if their current Salsa status does not change for the better. The growing lack of moral ethics, manners, and common courtesy on the Salsa dance floors also does the trick. 

Economic Depression

The first action many people will take in an economic crisis is to cut off some of their money costing hobbies. Global western societies have had many job losses over the past two years. This problem is linked directly to the current international financial crisis. Salsa dancing can be very expensive for the real Salsa Addicts: taking Salsa classes, workshops, bootcamps, going to Salsa parties, traveling to international Salsa festivals and buying Salsa Dance wear amount to a lot of cash.

Salsa Dip

At some point, many Saleros and Salseras will experience the phenomenon known as “having a Salsa Dip”. This is the stage in which dancers have had enough of Salsa dancing. This Salsa Dip can have many causes, but fact is that some of these "Salsa Dippers" never get out of it. 

Do comment on other reasons that you are aware of, or mail your own personal experiences to sederick@onlinesalsa.com.